Improved ship s windlass



UNITED STATES PATENT CEETCE.

JAMES EMERSON, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM P.HUNT, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED SHIPS WINDLASS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,194, dated December16, 186:2.

To all whom, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES EMERSON, of Manchester, in the county ofHillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new andImproved Ships VVindlass; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

The saine letters refer to corresponding parts in all the iigures of thedrawings accompanying the specification.

The nature of my invention consists in making the windlass in such formthat it can be made lighter, stronger, and less liable to get out oforder than iron windlasses heretofore made, the form being such that itmay be put together at the manufactory.

Figure lis a photographic view ofthe windlass as it stands in the bowsof a ship. Fig. 2 is a side view of the windlass split through thecenter fore and aft, and is a correct working draft on a scale of oneinch to the foot. 3 3 3 represent the frame or bows of the ship in whichthe windlass is placed. Fig. 4 represents the clutch and small gears ona larger scale and plainer than shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 shows theclutch and small gears as arranged and shown in Fig. l.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill' now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Commencing with the main shaft P, the lower end of vwhich works in abearing in the deck of the ship, as shown in Fig. 2, on this shaft isfirst placed the lower grab E, above that the iron frame C, then theupper grab E, then the top frame C, and 'above that the head D. Thishead and the upper grab are secured to the shaft by the keys .X X.. Thelower grab is larger than the upper one, and is loose on the Shaft. Onthe lower part of it, near its greatest circumference, there are teethcast. These teeth point inward, i'orniin g what is called an internalgear.77 Between the point of the teeth and the outer end of the hornsthat hold the chain there is an annular recess the depth of the teeth ofthe internal gear. In this recess the pinion G works, as shown, Fig. 2.The teeth on the outside of this pinion mesh into the teeth of theinternal gear of the grab. Consequently, when the pinion is turned tothe right it revolves the grab the same way. The upper grab is abouttwo-thirds the size of the lower one. On its greatest circumferenceteeth are cast, pointing outward, forming the common external gear. Intothis gear the teeth of pinion H work, moving or rotating the grab in acontrary direction to its own, thus turning the upper grab to the leftwhile the lower one is turning to the right, for the purpose of heavingin both chains of a ship at the saine time. The pinions Cr and H areboth loose on shaft Q, but are clutched to it, when necessary, by thesliding keys V V, which are secured in the hub M and small gear N thehub and gear being secured to the shaft Q by the keys Z Z. The bolts orpawls U U drop into ratchets cast near the circumference of the grabs EE, and are to prevent heavy strains on the gears from backlash whenheaving in chain.; also to hold the grabs while riding at anchor. T is abearing for the lower end of shaft Q. It also has a vertical recess inwhich the lower bolt or pawl U works. The frames O are iron, andare tosecure the top part of the shaft I). The lower one is cast with a flangeon the upper side, the circumference of which is a little greater thanthat of the upper gra-b, and it comes up a little over the teeth of thegrab. This, with the projecting ange cast on the grab above the teeth,forms a recess for the friction-band Y, as shown in Fig. 2. The forwardpart of the frames C make a bearing for the shaft R. The grabs are madewith an annular grooved recess, with radial ilanges for holding thechains, similar to those shown in William P. Creens English patent of1837. There should bevsix pairs of iianges in the lower grab to fivepairs in the upper, to make up for difference ot' speed of the twograbs.

The grabs are controlled, when paying' out chain, by the frictionbands,one end of which is rmly secured to the bit forward of the windlass,while the other end is operated by lever' or screw, as maybe consideredbest. The head D is for heavy strains with rope or hawser. The shaft Qis made in two pieces, the lower part ot' which runs up a few inchesinto the lower part of the clutch N, in which it fits loosely. Cn thelower end of this shaftis the pinion-gear C and hub M, for operating thelower grab. Above the lower frame C ou this shaft is placed the pinionH, for working the upper grab. Above this pinion is then placed thesmall gear I, which is secured to the Shaft 'as to disconnect them.

Q by the key Z. In a hub on the bottom of gear I is secured the slidingclutch or key V, which works or slides into recesses in the top ofpinion H, for the purpose of securin g the said pinion to the shaft whennecessary, as shown in Fig. 2. In the top of gear I there a-re fourrecesses to receive the bolts or pawls b bin clutch N, which is placedon the upper end of the lower piece of shaft Q, immediately above gearI; then, when the clutch is turned until the pawls b b are over therecesses in the gea-r I, the pawls will drop into them, clutching thelower part of the shaft and clutch together. This clutch is made with along neck, that runs up through the gear J and top frame O. The gear Jis loose on the neck of the clutch, but in it there are two bolts orpawls, b b, which drop into recesses in the top of the clutch N,operating precisely as those in clutch N in connection with the gear I.When the clutch N is clutched to the gear I, there is a space betweenthe clutch and under side of gear J, so that the pawls b b in the saidgear do not act. Raise the clutch up to the bottom of the gear J, andthe pawls will clutch the said gear, and the space will be betweenclutch N and gear I, so The upper piece of shaft Q goes up through theforecastle-deck high enough to answer for a capstan-spindle. The lowerend of the shaft goes into the clutch N loosely, but is prevented fromturning in the same by a long key, on which the clutch N slides up ordown. The clutch N is raised or lowered by the cam S, as shown in Fig.2. The gear J is held in place by the hook m. This gear is the driver,and when clutched to the shaft by raising the clutch N it drives thegear K, which drives or turns gear L, gears K and L being both keyed tothe shaft R. The gear L drives. the gear I, which is keyed to the lowerpiece of shaft Q. By this combination of gears with the clutch N thelower part of the shaft moves at double the speed of the top part. Forlight work this is important. Another important advantage is gained byhaving the shaft Q iu two parts, which is that it allows the windlass tobe made without regard to height of forecastle-deck-a height difficultto get until the ship is nearly finished. As all or nearly all the workis on the lower shaft, all that is necessary is to make the upper pieceof the shaft long enough, then cut it to the length required. Above theforecastle is a common capstan; C, the base, B, the body, and A, the

head, which is separate from the body. When desiring to work thewindlass, put the key e in the top of the head, as shown in Fig. 2. Whendesiring to use the capstan, put the same key in the side of the head,as shown by dotted lines.

Operation: The starboard-chain is put onto the lower grab, and goesabout three-fourths around it, then drops off and runs down into thechain-locker on the port side. The portchain goes around the upper grabin the same Way and goes into the locker on the starboard side. NVhendesiring to heave in chain-for instance, the starboard one-clutch thepinion G to the shaft Q by the sliding clutchV in the' hub M, put thepin e in the head of the capstan, as shown. If the strain is heavy,clutch the two parts of shaft Q together by lowering the clutch N ontogear I, then heave away. If the strain is light, raise clutch N upagainst gear J, which will rotate the grab with double speed, and ofcourse with corresponding loss of power. The port-chain is hove in byclutching pinion H to the shaft, as above described, or both may beworked together. When coming to anchor, take up the slack of thefriction-bands, raise the pawls U U, then let the anchor go from thecat-head, and check as required. Be sure that the sliding keys V V areout ofthe pinions before letting the anchor go. When riding, put thepawls U U into the ratchets of the grabs; at the same time nipper firmlywith the frictionbands.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Placing the two grabs E E on one vertical shaft and. causing them torevolve in reverse directions, for the purpose of heaving in the twochains of a ship at the same time, substantially as described.

2. The arrangen'leut of the small gears I J K L and the clutch N, inconnection with the two chain-grabs ou the vertical shaft P, for thepurpose described, when arranged substantially as described.

3. The separation of the shaft'Q, thus making it in two pieces, in orderto allow nearly all ofthe working parts to be secured to the lowerpiece, for the purpose named, and substantially as described.

JAMES EMERSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES WALKER, Unas. K. WALKER.

